Alternative Music News
The Go Go’s Return with “Club Zero”, First New Song in 20 Years: Stream
The Go Go’s have returned with their first new song in 20 years. Entitled “Club Zero”, the song’s release coincides with a new documentary on the band premiering on Showtime on August 1st. “Club Zero” was created via email amongst the band’s members and recorded at Lucky Recording in San Francisco and Los Angeles, according to a press release, which adds: “As the band’s stance has always been fervent when it comes to relevant issues, the anthemic, punk-infused paean arrives just in time for a world in desperate need of a voice of optimism and change.” The documentary, simply titled The Go-Go’s, was directed by Alison Ellwood, who was given full access to the band and its archive. [embedded content] [embedded content] Last year, The Go Go’s Kathy Valentine spoke to Kyle Meredith W...
Chris Cornell’s Daughter Toni Covers Pearl Jam’s “Black”: Watch
Chris Cornell’s daughters are doing an admirable job preserving their father’s legacy. His eldest, Lily, recently launched an IGTV series focusing on mental health. Meanwhile, his younger daughter, Toni, is following in her father’s footsteps by pursing a career in music. In addition to releasing her own original material, 15-year-old Toni has also made a point to cover some old grunge classics. We previously saw her perform Temple of the Dog’s “Hunger Strike” as part of a COVID-19 benefit concert. And earlier this evening, to kick off Lollapalooza’s Lolla2020 livestream, Toni sang Pearl Jam’s “Black” as a tribute to her late father. Watch the replay below (via Rolling Stone). You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It...
Merge Records Cuts Ties with Ian Svenonius After Admitting to Inappropriate Behavior with Women
Merge Records has cut ties with Ian Svenonius, frontman of bands including The Nation of Ulysses, The Make-Up, Chain and the Gang, and Escape-ism, after he admitted to predatory behavior. In a since-deleted Twitter post published on Friday, July 24th, Svenonius admitted to a history of being “completely inappropriate to women” (via Pitchfork). “I want to use this forum to say that I support people speaking out for the eradication of abusive predatory modes and also that I am absolutely one of the guilty parties,” Svenonius wrote. “That, through my narcissism, egotism, and thoughtlessness, I have acted the creep. That I have made people I cared about and respected feel terrible, have been completely inappropriate to women.” “To anyone I have made feel bad or uncomfortable, I sincerely apolo...
St. Vincent Shares Clip of Her “Fumbling” Through “Stairway to Heaven”: Watch
St. Vincent, photo by Ben Kaye There’s nothing like guitar stores, with their rows upon rows of unlimited potential, and the ever-present sound of overeager amateurs stumbling through famous riffs. Many such establishments are now closed, but to recreate that hallowed vibe, St. Vincent has shared a Led Zeppelin cover just in case you “missed the sound of someone fumbling through “stairway to heaven”.” The artist born Annie Clark posted the video to Instagram. She wore a fruit-covered robe with red-framed sunglasses, and chose a filter with the color saturation turned all the way to Vegas Strip. While the short clip doesn’t contain singing or any other words, she did add a short comment in which she honored and roasted guitar stores. Clark wrote, “Since guitar stores have been closed, I tho...
The Strokes Share New Music Video for “Ode to The Mets”: Watch
Baseball is officially back, which makes this the perfect time for The Strokes to drop their music video for The New Abnormal standout “Ode to The Mets”. Directed by the band’s longtime collaborator Warren Fu, the clip is broken into eight “chapters,” each digitally animated by a different artist. As the camera pulls back through one location to the next, keep an eye out for subtle Easter eggs hidden amongst the designs. The Mets’ blue-and-orange color scheme is hinted at throughout, and there’s a nod to the team’s last World Series win in 1969. There’s even an old photo of The Strokes themselves from guitarist Nick Valensi’s own collection tucked into one of the scenes. Watch the “Ode to The Mets” video below. Editors’ Picks After releasing The New Abnormal (available here) bac...
Sonic Youth’s and PJ Harvey’s From the Basement Sets Uploaded to YouTube: Watch
The deeper we get into the From the Basement archive, the better and better it gets. The latest uploads include full performances from Sonic Youth and PJ Harvey. Ever since it was announced that Nigel Godrich’s independent music performance program was uploading its entire archive to YouTube, music fans have been blessed with high-quality footage of iconic bands every week, including legendary Radiohead clips and previously hard-to-view performances. These new videos continue that trend. Sonic Youth’s 2007 performance on From the Basement feels like an actual concert. Although the setlist only consists of five songs, the runtime lasts well over half an hour and the band is totally in the zone. After they open with an impassioned version of “The Sprawl”, Sonic Youth then bust out a par...
R.I.P. Emitt Rhodes, Power Pop Icon and Home Recording Pioneer Dies at 70
Emitt Rhodes, power pop icon and home recording pioneer, has died at the age of 70. News of Rhodes’ death was confirmed by Omnivore Recordings, which released his final album in 2016. He is said to have passed away in his sleep, but the cause of death was not immediately clear. Rhodes got his start as a drummer in garage rock band The Palace Guard (which also briefly featured My Three Sons actor Don Grady). However, he had his first breakthrough with his next band, The Merry-Go-Round, which had minor hits with the psychedelic “Live” and the melancholic ballad “You’re a Very Lovely Woman”. It is most likely for his 1970 self-titled solo album, though, that he will best be remembered. The album, released on Dunhill Records, was recorded on an Ampex 4-track recorder in his pare...
The National’s Matt Berninger Reveals New Solo Single “Distant Axis”: Stream
On October 2nd, The National frontman Matt Berninger will release his debut solo album, Serpentine Prison. After first previewing the LP by unveiling its title track, Berninger has now unveiled a second teaser track in “Distant Axis”. The song was co-written by The Walkmen’s Walter Martin. In a statement, Berninger discussed the collaboration, saying, “II met Walter Martin fifteen years ago when The National opened for The Walkmen on a tour of shitty clubs in the American Southeast. On that tour I learned a lot about how to be in a band without ruining your life. I also learned a lot about Florida, Tennessee and Georgia. Walt and I have stayed friends and about three years ago we started passing ideas back and forth. ‘Distant Axis’ started from a sketch Walt sent me named ‘Savann...
PJ Harvey Announces Vinyl Reissue of To Bring You My Love
PJ Harvey has announced a vinyl reissue of her third album, To Bring You My Love, as part of her ongoing year-long reissue campaign. It’s due out on September 11th via UMC/Island. Harvey is also set to share To Bring You My Love – Demos, a compilation of previously unreleased recordings, that same day. This is the third installment in Harvey’s reissue campaign. She previously announced re-releases of 1992’s Dry and 1993’s Rid of Me as well as accompanying demos for each, the latter of which was produced by industry staple Steve Albini. In contrast, To Bring You My Love was co-produced by Harvey herself alongside Flood and John Parish, marking her first collaboration with them. In the press and tour cycles that followed, the album was swiftly hailed as Harvey’s proper breakthrough record. T...
Massive Attack Unveil Eutopia EP: Stream
Massive Attack have unveiled a new EP called Eutopia, which features the group’s first new music in four years. Listen below. The audiovisual release consists of three songs pairing original music created by Massive Attack, Young Fathers, Algiers, and Saul Williams alongside commentary from Christiana Figueres, author of the UN Paris Climate Agreement; universal basic income theorist Guy Standing; and Gabriel Zucman, the professor behind the “wealth tax” policy in America (via Pitchfork). Each song comes paired with visuals created by Mario Klingemann. “Lockdown exposed the best aspects and worst flaws of humanity,” Massive Attack said in a statement. “That period of uncertainty and anxiety forced us to meditate on the obvious need to change the damaging systems we live by. By working with...
Simple Plan Part Ways With Longtime Bassist Following Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Simple Plan have parted ways with longtime bassist David Desrosiers following allegations of sexual misconduct. “Following recent public statements, David Desrosiers is withdrawing from the band in order to work on his personal issues,” Simple Plan said in a statement posted to social media. “We offer our deepest apologies to the women who were hurt by his actions. We are also sorry for all our fans who are disappointed by this regretful situation. We will, as a band, take time to pause, reflect, and put in place guidelines to prevent similar situations from happening.” In his own statement, Desrosiers added, “Recent public statements have led me to acknowledge that some of the interactions I have had with women have caused them harm. I have decided to withdraw from the band and seek profe...
Björk is Playing Actual Concerts With a Live Audience in Iceland Next Month
Björk is set to become one of the first major artists to stage an actual concert since the coronavirus pandemic crippled the live music industry. In August, the Icelandic songstress will play a trio of concerts from the Harpa Hall in Reykjavík featuring a live audience. The first show is scheduled for August 9th and sees Björk accompanied by the Hamrahlíð Choir. For the second and third performances, taking place on August 15th and 23rd, respectively, she’ll be joined by members of the the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra. Specifically, the orchestra’s string ensemble will perform with Björk on the 15th, while its brass section will join her for the show on the 23rd, along with the flute septet Viibra (via Pitchfork). If you’re wondering how, well the answer is simple: Iceland ...
